Act III scene one (III.i)
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R & G claim Hamlet will not answer questions about his behavior
Polonius’ plan will be put to action
Claudius is feeling very guilty
Hamlet gives a soliloquy – “’To be or not to be….”’ To live or not to live? Should I kill myself and go towards
an unknown which might be worse than the hell on earth I am experiencing right now?
Ophelia tries to return gifts that Hamlet had given her
He claims to have never given them to her – he asks if she is truthful and fair/beautiful
She is confused by his questions and behavior
Hamlet states he did love her once
She says she believed he did love her
Hamlet then says she should not have believed him because he never loved her – he knows he cannot trust her
because of Polonius
Hamlet - get to a nunnery (convent) so that she will never produce any sinners – all who are born are sinners
Hamlet then tells her “’We are arrant knaves (all ;) believe none of us’” (Shakespeare III.i.130-140). Trying to let
her know that he really does love her or that all men are deceiving her
Hamlet – says that women trick men into falling in love with their “’paintings’” (makeup/cosmetics), women have
two faces (fake) – love is what has caused him to go mad and all marriage should be banned – those whom are
married already, all but one shall live
Claudius claims that love didn’t do this to Hamlet, there is something else that has made him mad - danger will
come from it (foreshadow!)
Claudius decides that Hamlet must be sent to England
Polonius devises another plan – the Queen will speak with Hamlet alone in her room – Polonius will hide behind
the tapestry to listen in on their conversation – maybe she will be able to find out what is wrong with Hamlet
Act III scene 2 (III.ii)
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Hamlet instructs the players not to overact, it will ruin the play
Hamlet trusts Horatio, asks him to watch Claudius throughout the play that Hamlet wrote – see if you notice any
guilty behavior – Hamlet wants a backup to make sure he is not seeing only what he wants to see
Hamlet talks nonsensically to everyone – acting insane
He sits near Ophelia and then offends her – asks to lie in her lap and lie his head in her lap
Hamlet - look at my mother, so happily married when my father is only dead two hours
Ophelia corrects him and says it has been two months
Play - King and Queen embrace, a man enters, takes off King’s crown, kisses it, pour poison in the King’s ear.
The Queen returns to find the King dead, the poisoner consoles the Queen. Dead King is carried away, poisoner
woos the Queen with gifts and she accepts his love.
Hamlet asks his mother what she thinks of the play
Gertrude claims that the player queen is too dramatic
King asks Hamlet the name of the play – it is “The Mousetrap”
Hamlet says to Claudius that those who have free souls, it does not bother them.
Claudius rises – showing guilt – yells “’Give me some light. Away!’” (Shakespeare III.ii.295).
Hamlet and Horatio discuss how it is definitely an act of guilt on the King’s part
Queen would like to speak with Hamlet in her room
Hamlet mentions a recorder - he asks why do they think that they can play him? He is not fooled by them
Hamlet (soliloquy) –claims he is filled with anger and vengeance, he wants to speak cruelly to his mother but not
physically hurt her
Act III scene 3 (III.iii)
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Claudius is sending R & G to England with Hamlet – gives them letters to give to the King of England
Polonius will be going to Gertrude’s room and he will be listening in on their conversation
Claudius is alone (soliloquy) – claims the guilt of killing his brother is killing him, asks for mercy but does not
feel he deserves it because he still has the possessions of his sins (his ambition, his crown, his queen
Enter Hamlet – Claudius does not see him
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Hamlet looks at Claudius and wants to kill him but thinks that it would be unfair to kill Claudius while he is
praying – he would be purging his sins, and therefore, able to go to heaven – when his father did not have the
opportunity to purge his sins before death. He decides to wait until Claudius is sinning to kill him – when he is
drunk, in a rage or sleeping with his mother
Claudius admits that he is unable to pray
Act III scene 4 (III.iv)
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Polonius gives the Queen advice on how to get info out of Hamlet - hides
Gertrude tells Hamlet that he has offended his father (meaning Claudius)
Hamlet says that she has offended his father (meaning the dead King Hamlet)
‘”You are the Queen, your husband’s brother’s wife…”’ (Shakespeare III.iv.20).
Queen is afraid for her life and yells for help
Polonius, from behind the tapestry, yells for help also
Hamlet assumes it is Claudius and stabs his sword through it, killing Polonius
“’…almost as bad, good mother,/As kill a king and marry with his brother’” (Shakespeare III.iv.34-35).
Hamlet tells her that she is better off now because she will know the truth; her new marriage is a false one, his
father was a good man (compares him to Gods), how could she go from him to Claudius?
Gertrude says she is feeling ashamed for how she has acted
Enter the Ghost
Hamlet can see him, yet Gertrude can not
Ghost returns to tell Hamlet to leave Gertrude to heaven and only seek revenge on Claudius
Gertrude definitely believes that Hamlet is insane now
Hamlet asks her to confess her sins to heaven, get rid of Claudius, don’t sleep with him any longer, don’t flirt with
him, or kiss him or allow him to kiss you, he claims he is not mad just mad in craft – he also tells her not to tell
anything that has told her to Claudius
She promises not to tell Claudius anything
He tells his mother that he must go to England on the King’s orders
He takes Polonius’ body out of his mother’s room and leaves